Netflix Re-Enters The Squid Game, Announces Third And Final Season
On your marks ... get ready ... "Squid Game" season 2 has officially gotten a release date, and thanks to Netflix (via their Tudum site), we know that the games begin again on December 26, 2024. A very interesting date, you might think; sure, people home for the holidays will all be looking for something to watch, but I'm not sure if this show qualifies as feel-good family entertainment. It seems Netflix is being a little canny with this choice, but hey, if David Fincher can make "The Feel-Bad Movie of Christmas" for cinemas, can't director Hwang Dong-hyuk do the same for TV?
The first season of "Squid Game" was a massive hit upon its premiere in September of 2021, becoming the service's most-watched show ever, and that popularity has only made the long wait for this second season that much more difficult. Despite this years-long wait, the show (much like Netflix's other original series phenomenon, "Stranger Things") has never completely left the public eye; not only did Lee Jung-jae (who plays Seong Gi-hun) make Emmy history by winning Lead Actor in a Drama Series in 2022, but "Squid Game" merchandise, tie-in materials, and ancillary activities like the "Squid Game Experience" in Los Angeles or the highly controversial reality show spin-off have kept it alive during the years without new episodes.
Fortunately, fans won't have too long to wait after the premiere of season 2 for the show's third (and, sadly, final) season to drop as well, as Hwang has also confirmed that season 3 will premiere sometime in 2025. That's more games than you can shake a squid at, by golly!
Run, don't walk, to more Squid Game
As you can see by this Date Announcement teaser, the Games may be expanding beyond just red Light/green Light, marbles, tug of war, and Ppopgi. We might be in store for some honest-to-goodness Olympic-style events, as some track runners race by the Front Man (Lee Byung-hun), who asks us if we're ready to play again after three years. And don't worry, the murderous Young-hee doll is returning to annihilate. Show creator Hwang Dong-hyuk also included a letter for fans which can be read below:
Netflix
Returning cast members include Lee Jung-jae, Lee Byung-hun, Gong Yoo, and Wi Ha-jun, while newcomers Yim Si-wan, Kang Ha-neul, Park Gyu-young, Park Sung-hoon, Jo Yu-ri, Yang Dong-geun, Kang Ae-sim, Lee David, Lee Jin-uk, Choi Seung-hyun, Roh Jae-won, and Won Ji-an will all appear as the new ensemble. (RIP season 1's contestants).
While the actual games we might see in season 2 are still anyone's guess, we have a bit more information to go on as to the season's plot, thanks to the official synopsis:
"Three years after winning Squid Game, Player 456 remains determined to find the people behind the game and put an end to their vicious sport. Using this fortune to fund his search, Gi-hun starts with the most obvious of places: look for the man in a sharp suit playing ddakji in the subway. But when his efforts finally yield results, the path toward taking down the organization proves to be deadlier than he imagined: to end the game, he needs to re-enter it."
Judging by that, it seems like season 2 will be taking place in real-time since the end of season 1, so that could mean that season 3 following hot on its heels implies that some crazy drama occurs that can't wait another three years after the close of season 2. In any case, this news counts as a bit of Christmas in July, and now we only have to wait until actual Christmas to get our game on again.
Squid Game fans are optimistic about the show's ending
Fans don't always react positively to learning that the TV show they love is coming to an end, which is why it was smart for Netflix to drop the "Squid Game" season 2 teaser and announce the final season at the same time. With two seasons still to come, no one's really grieving for "Squid Game" yet. On the contrary, most fans seem happy to learn that the story's ending is being planned so far in advance. It undoubtedly helps that season 3 is set for a 2025 release, sparing us from another grueling three-year wait between chapters.
The reaction on Reddit was mostly celebratory. While there was some sadness over "Squid Game" only getting three seasons, one user pointed out that three solid seasons are preferable to a show that drags on unnecessarily until the quality fizzles out, writing: "We should be rejoicing that Squid Game will likely go out on a high note." Another expressed their gratitude that the showrunners "have the foresight to draw a line in the sand."
These sentiments were echoed across other social media platforms, and understandably so. The Peak TV era (and especially the streaming era) marked a turnaround from the tradition of popular shows being blindly renewed until they weren't popular any more. "Breaking Bad" is perhaps the most frequently cited example of a TV show going out on a high note, thanks to the writers being able to plan the perfect ending when the series was at its peak. Fans have been burned by bad finales before, and most people just want the story that they're invested in to have a satisfying conclusion. That's especially true for mystery box shows like "Squid Game," so let's hope Hwang Dong-hyuk has plotted out two seasons that were worth the wait.
"Squid Game" season 2 arrives December 26, 2024, on Netflix.